Loading rack



jam. 253, 12.945. a GOODE gg@ LOADING RACK 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 17, 1942 Brace 6500 ci@ jan. 23, i945. B @OCDE 2,368,931@

LOADING RACK Filed sepi. 17,y 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d .Jura-.11:2 I

Patented Jan. 23, 1945 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE LOADING RACK Bruce Goode, Midland, Tex., assignor of one-half to James Paul McHargue, Midland, Tex.

Application September 17, 1942, Serial No. 458,681

Z Claims.

bombs and removingthe same from the plat-v form.

An additional object ofthe invention is to provide an apparatus of this kind wherein the bombs are arranged in batteries on a turn-table and in a manner whereby the bombs of a battery may be lled simultaneously.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved loading apparatus whereby certain important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully setforth.

In order that my invention may be better .the measuring chambers 4.

understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation illustrating an apparatus constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary View in end elevation of the lower portion of the topper structure as herein embodied;

Fi-gure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view, partly in top plan and partly in section, particularly illustrating the features of the turn-table, the line of section being substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustratedin the accompanying drawings, B denotes a bin of desired dimensions and configuration and which is adapted to hold a supply of thor oughly dry sand. The bottom wall of the bin B at the transverse'center thereof is provided with a depending and, as herein disclosed, substantially rectangular boot I, the portions 2 .of the bottom wall of the bin B at opposite sides of this boot I being inwardly and downwardly inclined to insure proper delivery of the sand within the boot I.

This boot I at predetermined points spaced therealong is provided with depending discharge spouts 3 each of which communicates from above with a measuring chamber 4 of a capacity to hold a predetermined amount of sand or the quantity of sand desired to ll a practice bomb.

Flow of the sand through the spout 3 into the measuring chamber 4 is under control of a valve 5.v herein disclosed as of a sliding type.

Depending from each of the measuring chambers 4 is an elongated tubular discharge member Ii on which is slidably and telescopically engaged a supplemental discharge member 1. In the present embodiment of my invention, all of the supplemental discharge members 'I depend from a plate 8 and have their longitudinal side marginal portions reinforced by the angle irons ,9 extending therealong and to which irons the plate 8 is preferably welded.

The irons 9 at each end are tied or connected by a cross member I0 welded or otherwise rigidly connected thereto and which member, as herein embodied, constitutes an L-member. By this particular arrangement, all of the discharge members l can be raised or lowered in unison. These members I are normally maintained at the limit of their upward movement `through the medium of the retractile members II, there being one of said members interposed between each of the cross members I0 and an end cross member I2 provided in the supporting structure for The front and rear faces of the measuring chambers 4 at their upper portions have rigidly secured thereto the elongated members I4 herein disclosed as L irons, with said members or irons I4 at each end of the group of measuring chambers 4 connected by a cross member I2.

Depending from the boot I at the opposite extremities thereof are the hangers I5 which are also rigidly secured to the end portions of the members or irons I4. The lower end portion of reach of the measuring chambers 4 'and at the part thereof with which the dischargeA member B communicates is formed to provide a valve seat I6 with which coacts an upwardly opening valve member I1 within the measuring chamber 4. This valve member I1 is provided With an upstanding stem I8 having its upper extremity in pivotal connection, as at I9, with a rock arm 2D extending inwardly of the measuring chamber 4 through a suitably positioned opening 2l in the top portion of the measuring chamber. This rock arm 20 is carried by a shaft 22 rotatably mounted upon and extending along one of the members I4. This member I4 at desired spaced points therealong is provided with the upstanding bearing plates 23 for the shaft 22.

At substantially its longitudinal center the shaft 22, which is exterior of the measuring chambers ll, is provided with an outstanding op- -erating lever 24, whereby all of the valve members I'I may be raised or lowered in unison. At a desired point in advance of the measuring chambers d and at substantially the longitudinal center of such assembly of the hoppers is a vertically disposed shaft 25, th-e upper end portion of which is rotatably engaged with a bearing 2G depending from a portion 2 of the bottom wall of the bin B while the lower end portion of the shaft is rotatably engaged with a suitably positioned and upwardly facing bearing 21.

Fixed to the lower end portion of the shaft 25 for rotation therewith is a turn-table 28 herein disclosed as circular in form and of a diameter in excess of the length of the assembled measuring chambers 4. face of the turn-table 23 is a frame F, square in design and having each of its members 29 of a length in excess of the length of the assembled measuring chambers 4.

The shaft 25 is at the axial center of the frame F and each of the members 29 is flat and provided therealong with a series of equidistantly spaced openings 30 providing pockets or sockets to r-eceive the nose end portion of a practice bomb P when in applied position for lling. These openings 38 are of a number equal to the number of measuring chambers 4 and the openings 30 of each member 23 of the frame F are so arranged and spaced to allow the openings 33 of each of the members 29 to be brought directly below the discharge members 6 of the measuring chambers 4.

Anchored to the upper face of the turn-table 28 within the frame F are the upstanding columns or posts 3! to the upper end portions of which are rigidly secured the top frame T also square in form and with each of its side members 32 inwardly of and in parallelism with the corresponding member 23 of the lower frame F. The mounting of the upper frame T is such as to have this upper frame T centered with respect to the lower frame F.

Rigidly secured to the members 32 of the top frame T and extending outwardly therefrom are the outstanding at members 33. Each of these members 33 is of a relative width and of a length coextensive with the length of the adjacent member 32 of the top frame 'I'. The outer marginal portions of each of these members 33 is provided therealong with equidistantly spaced and relatively large recesses 34, herein disclosed as semicircular in form, and into which is adapted to be received the tail end portion, of an applied bomb P.

The recesses 34 of each of the members 33 are of the same number as the openings 30 of the member 29 of the lower frame F and said recesses 34 are so positioned or arranged to be directly above the openings 32 of the members 29 when the members 33 of the top frame F are directly one above the other or in vertical parallelism.

The periphery of the turn-table 28, as herein disclosed, is provided with four notches 35 equidistantly spaced therearound, with a notch 35 at the longitudinal center of each of the members 2S of the frame F. Inwardly of and adjacent to the turn-table 23 is a platform 36 herein disclosed as having mounted thereon a pedaloperated latch 3l' to selectively engage within these notches 35 to hold the turn-table against rotation after each quarter turn.

Rigidly mount-ed upon the upper,

, 'l are lowered to engage within the upper open vends of the applied bombs P, after which the lever 24 is operated to raise'the valve members The members 29 and 33 provide an assembly which constitutes a rack whereby the bombs P may be applied to the apparatus in batteries or gangs and the particular form of the upper and' lower frames allows one of such gangs or bat- IB, whereupon all of the bombs P of the gang or b-attery will be lled with .sand in a quantity predetermined by the capacities of the measuring chambers 4. During this filling operation of the bombs P, the valves 5 are in closed posi tion. After the filling operation and the valve members I7 have been returned to their closed positions, the valves 5 are opened to again rell the measuring chambers 4.

The bombs P are detachably held in desired vertical position as preferred but in the present embodiment of my invention, each of the members 33 of the top frame T has secured thereto, as at 38, the extremities of the coil springs 39 and the opposite extremities of these coil springs 39 are detachably connected with the hook member 40 positioned substantially centrally of the member 33, whereby a battery or gang of bombs P is effectively held in applied position yet in a manner to permit the same to be readily removed.

While one battery or gang of bombs P is being lled, a new battery or gang of bombs to be lled will be placed along the adjacent or oncoming side of the rack. Also during this lling operation the battery or gang of bombs Pat the adjacent offside of the rack are being capped. During the filling operation, there will be removed the filled and capped bombs in the battery or gang along the side of the rack directly opposed to the battery or gang of bombs being filled.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a loading apparatusv constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason ci the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for lling practice aerial bombs, a rotatable carriage structure for bring-- ging a plurality of bombs simultaneously to position beneath filling apparatus, comprising a table, a central rotatable support for the table, an upstanding frame on the table having a polygonal form, la lower elongated member supported on the table along each side of said frame and having a -plurality of step apertures each designed to receive the nose of a bomb, a second elongated member disposed along each side of the frame in spaced relation with and above each of the rst elongated members, each of said second elongated members having an outwardly opening recess' vertically aligned with a step aperture to receive the rear end of a bomb and means for securing the said rear ends of the bomb in their recesses.

2i. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the stated bomb securing means comprises an elongated coil spring and means for securing the spring lengthwise of the recessed member across the outer sides of the bombs in the recesses.

` BRUCE GOODE. 

